ROMANTIC Adam Lansdown wanted the perfect way to mark a double celebration – his wife’s 50th birthday and the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary.

He wanted to present wife Sarah with a unique gift to commemorate the landmark year – and racked his brain for something she could cherish for the rest of her life.

Eventually renowned jeweller Alistir Wood Tait came to his rescue by designing a beautiful ring made from rare Scottish gold – and even rarer Scottish silver.

Adam, 54, from Lasswade, Midlothian, said: “I couldn’t believe my luck. Everything has worked out amazingly. The ring is beautiful and highly unusual, my wife is delighted and the whole process has been an awful lot of fun.”

Check out the full gallery of images featuring the loving couple and the precious ring made from rare Scottish Gold and Scottish silver. The ring was made by Scottish gold specialist and expert jeweller, Alistir Wood Tait.

The couple have been lifelong customers of Alistir, Scotland’s leading authority on Scottish jewellery and gemstones and one of the few jewellers in the country with a regular supply of Scottish gold.

Adam, a surveyor, added: “A couple of years ago Alistir made the headlines because he landed a really large consignment of Scottish gold. I knew Sarah’s 50th was still a while away, so asked Alistir if he could put a little bit aside for me. “

I had half an idea it would be special to get something for Sarah in Scottish gold, but didn’t have a clue what. In fact, I’d more or less forgotten all about it until Alistir reminded me.”

The methodical jeweller had taken a note of the dates at his shop, Alistir Wood Tait Antique and Fine Jewellery in Rose Street, Edinburgh, and contacted Adam in December 2006 to check if he still wanted the gold.

Adam added: “I was grateful for the reminder so went into the shop to have a chat with Alistir and his staff. They suggested using the gold to mark Sarah’s 50th anniversary and some Scottish silver to mark our 25th wedding anniversary.

“I was blown away – I didn’t even realise such a thing as Scottish silver existed. One of Alistir’s team came up with a design of two bands that cross over, so it’s also got a subtle Saltire effect. “The contrast between the very yellow gold and the very white silver is pronounced and it looks fantastic. I can’t say how thrilled I am.

Gold and silver are the symbols for 50th and 25th anniversaries, the fact it is Scottish gold and silver makes it even more special.” Alistir has spent years cultivating the small band of dedicated gold panners who scour Scotland’s rivers for gold. Many sell their nuggets to him, so that he can make sought after jewellery.

His biggest ever haul was 13 ounces he bought in 2003 from a grizzled prospector who had panned every river in Scotland – and when it was smelted to make it usable it was found to contain high amounts of silver. Alistir added: “There isn’t any economical way to extract that silver and it is virtually classed as a waste product. But we decided to have it alloyed into a product we can actually use for jewellery making.

“Because we’ve never been quite sure what to do with it we actually have most of it left – probably about 2-3 ounces, and haven’t really be too sure what to do with it. “So I was delighted some of it has come in useful and helped Mr Lansdown come up with the perfect gift. The ring really is a stunning piece. Few people realise that Scotland has its own gemstones and precious metals. As a jeweller, I Iove seeing them being used like this.” Sarah Lansdown, celebrated her 50th birthday in January was thrilled with the ring.

The couple’s 25th wedding anniversary is in May and they will be having a major party in July with daughters Poppy, 19, Gemma, 18, and twins Hattie and Tilda, 16, as well as other family and friends. Sarah, a nurse specialist at Strathcarron Hospice in Stirlingshire, said: “It was a complete surprise and it is amazing that Adam managed that after 25 years of marriage – so I was understandably delighted.

“He even managed to get it sized using my engagement ring on a day I wasn’t wearing it to work, so I never noticed. It’s an extremely thoughtful gesture by Adam. “It is also a beautiful piece of jewellery and a real example of craftsmanship. I have used Alistir’s services for around 20 years and this is the kind of thing that makes him stand out. Once you have bought jewellery from him, you won’t need to go to anyone else.”

Related

Scott Douglas

Scott Douglas is the co-founder of the multi award-winning Holyrood Partnership, renowned public relations agency in Edinburgh, Scotland.
As well as providing expert PR services in Scotland and the UK, the former journalist heads a team which offers a host of other professional media services.
Those include crisis management PR, photography for business PR, affordable business video, social media campaigns and strategic content planning and delivery for businesses of all sizes.